Erm, excuse me Miss ... over here ... yes, me - the customer !!!!

[Krypton]

Shopping in NEXT last night and the young woman serving me was much more interested in talking to her colleague than giving me - the paying customer - any attention. I hardly got any eye contact, not a smile in sight (not even a smidgen of a miniscule of an iota of even a fake smile), she was half turned away from me for most of the transaction (to face he colleague) and I felt as if I'd been served by a robot. Actually, scratch that - a robot would have been more attentive!!!

I don't want simpering; I don't want 3 foot white-teethed monster smiles; I don't want so much eye contact I feel I have to look away - but I do want some basic good manners and to feel like I am a valued customer.

I was debating whether to complain to the manager about how I'd felt with the service I'd just received, but decided not to in the end. Do you think there would have been any value in my complaint? i.e. would the problem have been address and the young woman advised on better customer service skills, or would it have been more like "blah blah blah" in the managers ear's and forgotten about when I left the shop?

Do you work in retail, and do you take customer services seriously?

 

[iAmiAdam]

Don't complain, just never shop there again.

I hate it when I don't get any acknowledgement. Surprisingly, I get better reaction in cycling gear than in civs.

 

[CharlieB]

I think a word with management would have done the trick. Major shopping chains are usually so hot on inattention to customers these days, ime.

 

[guitarpete247]

Krypton, how old are you? There is a point when we become invisible to young people. I'm 54 and seem to disappear from some staff's radar. I wear a leather Aussie hat and find that this: 1, makes me more visible; 2, makes me more memorable if I have to go back in to complain. Cycling gear has the same effect as iAm iAdam says as does choosing counter staff nearer to your own age.

 

[ianrauk]

High street shopping is a complete nightmare these days. I try to avoid if possible.
And my local Next we get the same problem. Try to find someone to ask about a size etc is almost impossible. And when you do find someone then the lack of interest or helpfulness is very irritating.
Not only that, you have to put up with being blasted by a wave of hot air as you walk into the shop from the overhead heaters. Why put them above the (usually open) doorway FFS? Then you have to put up with some crappy dance music tune at nuclear decibels. Next is certainly getting worse.

 

[Krypton]

Hmmm, that sort of makes sense. However, I don't think I want to start wearing a red clown's nose to go shopping just to get some attention at the counter -

I might make a point of politely mentioning it next time then. I suppose if I don't, nothing will happen anyway - at least if I do, there's a chance something might be said or done.

It seems such a simple thing to expect from people when you're spending your money in their shop.

 

[beanzontoast]

We had a similar instance to this in a supermarket we had not visited before. We chose the shortest queue but it turned out to take the longest - the shopper in front of us decided to engage in a prolonged and leisurely conversation with the woman on the checkout (they clearly knew each other), and the checkout woman's processing of items grew slower and slower as she got engrossed in what they were talking about to the point where she was virtually at a standstill. She must have seen we were getting more and more fed up, but it didn't make any difference.

No apology to us when we finally got our turn, so we decided there and then not to go back. There's plenty of supermarkets around. One experience like that is all it takes!

 

[Archie_tect]

Happened to me once in M+S where there were 5 staff having a chat, but at least the lady at the check-out apologised as she'd seen my attempts to attract attention! Just had to wade in and touch the arm of one of them with a polite "excuse me" [thinking *I'm sorry to have to interrupt your conversation group*] before she turned to face me, you'd have thought I'd assaulted her!

.... and don't get me started about Homebase!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

And my local Next we get the same problem. Try to find someone to ask about a size etc is almost impossible. And when you do find someone then the lack of interest or helpfulness is very irritating.
Not only that, you have to put up with being blasted by a wave of hot air as you walk into the shop from the overhead heaters. Why put them above the (usually open) doorway FFS? Then you have to put up with some crappy dance music tune at nuclear decibels. Next is certainly getting worse.

Grumpy old git - they're trying to keep oldies like you out, Ian

 

[bobg]

Try Lidl for the ultimate shopping experience... my daughter in law was told off for not positioning her trolley at exactly the right ange to the till! ... and that without eye contact either. Mind you maybe if they opened the other 5 checkouts ....

 

[numbnuts]

If you pay peanuts ........

 

[guitarpete247]

Usually only one member of staff on the shop floor in Aldi or Lidl. They do everything from sweeping up to shelf stacking. Not found out why they have more than 1 till (might be some tax dodge or bought as a job lot cheap). Always find Aldi and Lidl staff friendly though but very fast at running the stuff through the till. I can't get it back into the trolley as fast as they scan it never mind bag it up.

 

[Fnaar]

I got some rather good value thermal base layers from Lidl last night...

And a nice chat with the fella on the till, about his recent wedding and honeymoon. He could change his shirt now and again, but as a shopping experience, it was fine. I only went in for dog food. I saw a rather posh woman I know in there too. She blushed, like she was embarrassed to have been caught shopping in there. or perhaps my zip was undone.

 

[rockyraccoon]

[QUOTE 1229897"]
Why do they constantly close one till and open another?
[/quote]

I'm not 100% sure I think it is something to do with till's balance. They can control the money in the till, find out overages/shortages, and the amount of change available..

 

[upsidedown]

I won't go in to our Lidl, if you're not going to buy anything it's nearly impossible to get back out without climbing over a barrier or squeezing past the people in the one open aisle. As I'm normally browsing for bike gear that's usually me.